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Experts discuss anti-torture laws in Africa

Xinhua, April 6, 2016 Adjust font size:

Ghana's Minister for Justice Marietta Brew Appiah-Oppong on Tuesday said her country stands ready to collaborate with other states to ensure that appropriate legislation and other measures are adopted to prevent acts of torture in any territory under their respective jurisdiction.

Speaking at a regional seminar on the Convention against Torture Initiative (CTI), she said such legislation should ensure among other things that no exceptional circumstances whatsoever or no order from a superior officer or public authority may be invoked as justification of torture.

Leading anti-torture experts at the two-day event organized under the auspices of the Ghanaian government and the cross-regional core group of the CTI discussed issues related to the obligation to criminalize torture in sub-Saharan Africa via national laws in accordance with the the UN Convention Against Torture (CAT) and the African Charter.

The CTI was launched in March 2014 by the governments of Chile, Denmark, Ghana, Indonesia and Morocco.

It envisions that by 2024, the universal ratification of the CAT will be a reality.

The seminar focused on the need for states to take legislation and other national measures to prevent torture and other cruel, inhuman treatment and punishments.

"Whether as States Parties or yet to become States Parties to the Convention against Torture, we should all contribute to fulfilling our duty to uphold and respect the dignity of every and all persons as stated in the final preamble of the Convention against Torture," Appiah-Oppong said.

The Ambassador of Ghana to the UN in Geneva Sammie Eddico said the CTI recently released its ratification and implementation strategy for 2016-2017 and would be working actively on achieving universal ratification.

Almost all countries in sub-Saharan Africa are States Parties to the CAT although the implementation remains a challenge in many contexts. Enditem